Heart Like Yours
by bellabeautiful27
Summary: Alexia Dragomir has moved in with her sister, Poppy, after a tragic car crash killed their father and Alexia's mother. Following her dream of dancing for a prestigious company, Alexia determines to devote all of her time to dancing. But that plan is derailed when a mysterious boy in her Math class catches her eye, and takes a liking to her. Jasper/OC.
1. Chapter 1

Alexia Dragomir stared forlornly out of the cab window as it passed into the dreary town of Forks, Washington, population such a miniscule number that she couldn't even be bothered to fully read the number printed on the welcome sign. Though this place held many fond memories for her, it also held one of the worst: this was the place where her parents had died. Not exactly in Forks, itself, but this was where it had all began. Her mother, Karina, was a dancer with the Russian ballet back in her prime, but was forced to flee her homeland when she became pregnant at the age of 16. Her family had disowned her, and were planning on tossing her out on her ass with nothing when her father, Richard, gave up his life as an adjunct professor at Cambridge University to move to Forks and marry Karina.

Why they had chosen to move to this desolate wasteland would never make sense to her, but Alex supposed it had something to do with the fact that no one in their right mind would ever willingly choose Forks; it was the perfect place for hiding. Richard gave up a lot to save them, namely his other daughter from his first marriage, Poppy. As such, Alex had always felt closer to her father—not that she didn't love her mother, too. It was just…different. Both of their deaths had been hard on her, but the loss of her father was one she found herself mourning more frequently.

Jamming down the volume button a few times Alex relaxed back against the seat, the loud music drowning out her own thoughts. Thinking of this place and all of the memories it held for her was painful, and she didn't quite understand why she had agreed to come back and live with Poppy in the first place. After the death of her parents, a distant relative of her father's had come forward, offering to care for Alex until she came of age. For the past two months she had been living in London, England, spending her days sightseeing and learning everything she could about the culture while her nights were spent dancing with some of the top instructors in the country. Life was beginning to fall back into place for her—that is until the day a letter arrived in the post.

Alex could still remember her hands trembling as she read the letter from her sister, demanding she willingly come live out the rest of her seventeenth year of life with her sister in their hometown of Forks, or face the consequences. The letter alone wouldn't have been enough to sway Alexia to leave her new home and family—but the court order was. Given that Alexia still wasn't of an age to be considered an adult just yet, her sister was her closest living kin. She had petitioned the courts for primary custody of her, and she had won. Though she didn't want to enforce the order to get Alexia back, she made it crystal clear that she would if Alexia had made the wrong decision.

She'd considered running away that night, packing up what few belongings she had and using her meager savings to get her as far away from her sister as she could. Hell, she even considered trying to get to Russia to audition for the ballet and follow in her mother's footsteps. Knowing the pain that would cause her relatives who had been so kind to her, Alexia ultimately decided against it, begrudgingly agreeing to remain with her sister for the remainder of her senior year of high school. However, she did barter a bit, and earned herself an extra month in England to spend with her father's side of the family. Her eyes burned as she relived the painful goodbyes at the airport, and the looks on the faces of the relatives she knew she would likely never see again…

A knock on her window startled her, causing her to jump. The cab driver shoved his thumb in the direction of the house, opening the door for her as he said some numbers, holding out his hand. Alexia grabbed some money from her back pocket, shoving it into the driver's hand, giving him not only his cab fare but a tip as well; he had been quiet, not trying to make idle chit chat with her, and gotten her to her destination in one piece—what more could she have asked for?

Shocked by her kindness, the driver mumbled a thanks, grabbing her bags out of the back and setting them down next to her before driving off. Alexia sighed heavily as she stared at the place that had once been her home. Her eyes focused on the dead rose bush next to the mailbox, stinging with tears that she refused to shed. Gardening had been one of her father's favorite hobbies; clearly Poppy was not as concerned about preserving his only remaining living memory as she would have been.

An excited shriek pulled her from her own sadness, Poppy jogging towards her with arms outstretched. Alexia allowed Poppy to hug her, keeping her own arms straight to her sides, not bothering to return the affectionate embrace. Poppy pulled back, smiling at her, though it didn't quite touch her eyes. "Welcome home," she said warmly, gesturing to the house. Though some renovations had clearly been done on the place it still felt exactly as it had mere months ago when she was still living there. Alexia grabbed her bags before Poppy could, pointing to the rose bush as she brushed past her saying, "That was dad's favorite and you've killed it." Not pausing for a reaction she passed the threshold of the house, heading straight up to her old room without pausing to reminisce by the fireplace where the mantle held family portraits.


	2. Chapter 2

Things with Poppy were awkward to say the least. After a few hours of sleep Alexia felt some of her hostility towards the girl lessen, allowing her to actually be in the same room with her without wanting to gouge out her eyes. After showering and dressing in black jeans, a t-shirt, and baggy button down shirt, Alexia headed downstairs, met with Poppy as she flipped an omelet out of the pan and onto a plate. "Good morning!" she piped cheerfully. "I made omelets for breakfast this morning. I thought you'd want something hearty to help you get through your first day back at school." Alexia rolled her eyes, bypassing her sister to grab an apple from the fruit bowl, pairing it with a bottle of water. "I can't eat that many calories for breakfast," she explained, as if it was common knowledge that Poppy should have already known. "Recitals are coming up in May and I have to be in top shape. I've been dieting for weeks now." Her sister's face fell slightly before she recovered, setting the omelet aside before wrapping Alexia in a hug. Alexia pat her on the back once; it was as good as it was going to get for now.

"Well, I've got a full tank of gas in the car, and here are your keys," Poppy explained, dropping the keys to her father's Mercedes into her hand. "I thought…well, I mean you were closest to him so I thought you deserved his car…" Alexia's jaw tightened as she felt the familiar sting in her eyes again, gripping the keys in her fist so tightly she could feel them pierce her skin. "Thank you," she replied through gritted teeth, turning away from her sister and quickly escaping the house. The gesture had been kind, and one that Alexia would not soon forget. As she entered the car, the familiar sound of the engine revving to life, she found that it wasn't nearly as difficult as she had thought it would be. She had many fond memories of her father in this car, driving her hours away for dance practice and recitals; her mother had never been able to attend, always finding something to fill her schedule with. Alexia wasn't stupid; she knew her mother never attended her practices or recitals because it was too painful for her to watch her daughter living out _her_ dream, a dream she had given up to have her in the first place. Plugging her IPod into the radio she swiped down to her favorite playlist, the only thing keeping her sane lately. As the familiar beat vibrated through the car, Alexia thought she might actually be able to survive this.

She parked a fair distance away from the front of the school, managing to slip past the pods of students unnoticed. Her sister had been thoughtful enough to go ahead and pick up her schedule for her, sparing her the embarrassing trip to the office to get it herself. She made it to her first class unscathed, only being noticed by two other students. Honestly, she hadn't been that well known prior to the accident; she had spent all of her spare time in dance classes, competitions, and recitals. She missed quite a chunk of school to pursue it as well, and as such she didn't particularly have any friends. The group she had been included in prior to the accident had already graduated and left her behind. As she settled into her seat near the back of the classroom she turned her music down some, not wanting to blast it so loud that she garnered unwanted attention.

After unpacking her things, she turned off her music, winding the cord to her earbuds around her IPod before placing it gently into her bag, grabbing a pen to take notes with as the teacher stood up in front of the class and began his lecture. He didn't bother with welcoming her back, and she didn't really care. Within ten minutes of his monotone lecture on the differences between two mathematical terms she had no intentions of ever understanding, she began to get bored, instead using this time to peek around the room at her peers and see how many of them she remembered. There was Jocelyn from her art class, and Aaron from Civics. In the front row, as close to the teacher as she could possibly be, was Summer Winters, mini skirt hiked up as high as she could possibly get it.

Oh the irony of her name: Summer Winters—why the hell did her parents name her that? Were they just trying to force her into a life of prostitution and stripping? As the name suggested, Summer was quite a bit 'loose' when it came to sex, and she had no limitations—teachers were completely _possible_ for her. Mr. Gerner was a perfect example of why Summer Winters got whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. As she twirled a strand of hair around her finger she shoved her pen off of her desk, feigning mock surprise as she bent down to pick it up, her low-cut blouse showing off her cleavage, giving Mr. Gerner a little show. Rolling her eyes, Alexia turned away from her, examining the row next to her.

A few seats down was a boy she vaguely remembered, yet didn't quite know. Intrigued by the fact that there was someone in Forks she actually _didn't_ know, she leaned forward slightly, trying to discreetly get a better look at his face. He had skin paler than her own, which was more pronounced by his blonde hair. His eyes were a light golden color, with purple shadows underneath that revealed he must be sleeping as little as she had been lately. As if he could sense that she was examining him he slowly turned his head towards her, his eyes locking with hers for only a moment. Alexia jerked her head back down, suddenly interested in her nearly blank page of notes. She couldn't tell if he had looked away from her yet or not, and the more she thought about it the hotter her face became. She had never been caught checking someone out before, and she wasn't sure she quite liked the feeling of embarrassment that was flooding her system.

As soon as the bell rang, signaling the end of class, she slowly and deliberately gathered up her things, glancing up through her hair to make sure the boy was gone before sighing in relief. "Level five embarrassment in my first class…great day so far," she whispered to herself, slinging her bag over her arm before heading out to her next class. The boy wasn't in any of her other classes, to her relief, and soon the familiar escape of lunch arrived. Given her strict diet, Alexia bypassed the cafeteria, quickly downing her fruit and nut mix before changing into her dance clothes in the now empty gym. Poppy had arranged for her to practice in the gym during lunch whenever she wanted; it was empty until seventh period anyway, so she didn't see what the big deal was. But, the school had nonetheless agreed, as long as she kept her grades up. Plugging her music into the stereo, Alexia got into position, allowing the music to take over control.

Dancing was her only release—the only time she felt truly _alive_. The death of her parents had left her emotionless the majority of the time, a coping mechanism she had developed. But when she was dancing everything came alive; she could feel everything, be anyone, do anything. The range of emotions she experienced when dancing was difficult to explain, and as such she had never fully been able to get anyone to understand why it was so important to her—even her dancing friends thought she was insane on the few occasions she had tried to explain her connection to dancing.

Lost in the music, Alexia performed the routine she had been working on for recital auditions, a mix of ballet and contemporary dance that was choreographed by her dance instructor. It was more technically advanced than any of her teammates were attempting, and Alexia had been practicing nonstop to make sure it was perfect before auditions. Auditions determined more than just the dancing order during final assessment recitals—it was _everything_. Scouts from prestigious dance companies and schools all over the country would be present, but only at certain times. The recital was scheduled in a very specific way, the most promising dancers performing near the end of the event, allowing scouts to enter late without missing their best shot at a future employee or star pupil.

Screwing up one of the more important moves, Alexia broke from her musical paradise, cursing out in anger as she ran a hand through her hair, slamming the stereo off before throwing herself down on the ground, flat on her back as she tried to regulate her breathing. _Every damn time!_ she thought, screaming at herself internally for not being able to land the move as she had when her father had been watching her. ' _My little music box ballerina'_ he had said, clapping in delight as her smile beamed up at him from the dance floor. Groaning in frustration as the alarm went off on her phone, Alexia sat up, flicking the alarm off before standing, movement near the door catching her eye.

Startled, she sucked in a deep breath, rattled that the boy from before was staring at her through the gym door window. He quickly ducked his head as she spotted him, disappearing before Alexia could run from the gym to ask him just what the hell he thought he was doing watching her like that. Feeling more than a little unnerved that she was being watched by _him_ , Alexia quickly changed back into her clothes before heading out to her afternoon classes.


	3. Chapter 3

[Jasper's POV]

Jasper sighed as he exited the car, watching his siblings walk towards the entrance of Forks High School. Rosalie and Emmett, hand in hand, were giving each other a look that could only be identified as sexual tension—if that was even possible for a couple as 'active' as them. Edward stalked off on his own, brooding as usual. Looking around at the humans, Jasper tapped into their emotions: love, excitement, dread, anticipation—typical high school feelings. Closing them out, he started towards his first class, entering the room and taking his familiar seat on the right flank of the classroom before flipping open his book, pretending to study. By making himself busy, the few students who even dared to approach him in the first place were discouraged from doing so. As the professor stepped up to begin his lecture Jasper feigned attentiveness, drowning in his thoughts of _her_.

 _Alice_. Closing his eyes, images flashed through his mind of their years together. She was his best friend, his lover, his _everything_. She had found him when he was existing in a desolate wasteland, a life he would gladly have traded for any amount of time in the fiery pits of hell. He could still remember the first time he met her—the confusion and magnetic pull flooding back to him now, even after all this time. She had been a bright light in the darkness, and had shown him the way. ' _We can be different_ ,' she had said. ' _We don't have to live like this, Jasper. There are others; they can show us their way.'_ Those 'others' had been the Cullens. Unlike typical vampires, their coven survived off of animal blood alone, not believing in sacrificing human lives for their own satisfaction.

Prior to meeting Alice, Jasper had been responsible for the death of many humans and vampires alike. Maria, his creator, had used him for his power, and his love for her had forced him to do terrible things that still haunted him. _That wasn't love_ , he reminded himself, his hand closing into a fist before he relaxed it, trying to turn his attention back to the lecture. Just as he was beginning to absolve his thoughts of Alice for the time being, he felt a wave of curiosity hit him. It momentarily surprised him; typically, once he decided to block out the emotions of others he could no longer feel them. Rarely were the emotions a human felt strong enough to break past his block. Looking up Jasper noticed eyes on him, a girl he wasn't familiar with quickly looking away from him, her cheeks flushing red with the blood of embarrassment.

His jaw clenched; human blood was still tempting for Jasper, and moments like this truly tested his resistance. Forcing himself to count to ten before breathing again, Jasper slowly sucked in a breath, releasing it quickly. He performed this ritual three times, something Edward had taught him many years ago. As ridiculous as it sounded, it truly did seem to help. By forcing himself to stop and breath in the very thing that was tempting him and pairing it with holding his breath, he was able to desensitize himself to it, enabling him to control his thirst and save the lives of those around him. After he was sure he could control himself, he chanced a quick glance over at the girl.

She had perfectly wavy hair that came halfway down her back—soft brown at the top, but slowly it lightened up to a dirty blonde the closer you got to the ends. Her brows were more pronounced than those of her peers, and gave her a look of severity; it clashed with the gentleness of her face. Her skin was flawless and pale, though not quite as pale as his family's, he thought with a small grin. He examined her further, noticing she had brown eyes, small flecks of green coloring them in sporadic areas. His eyes traveled down, taking in what little of her body he could actually see from her seat at her desk. She looked fit, if not a little smaller than most humans her age. Turning his head to the side briefly to examine her one last time, Jasper shook his head. She would be rather beautiful had it not been for the scowl upon her face; it really detracted from her natural beauty.

Jasper forced himself to turn away, not wanting to attract the attention of strangers as he stared at the girl. Still curious about her, he dropped his block, gasping inaudibly as her emotions filled him. She was absolutely _miserable_ —if he could think of a word beyond that to describe it with he would have. What could possibly have happened to this poor creature to cause her such pain? _Probably a breakup, or she missed out on tickets to some ridiculous concert,_ he thought bitterly. Teenagers these days were always the same—wasting too much time wallowing in self-pity and misery for situations that did not call for it. If anyone had the right to feel that miserable it was surely Jasper; he was the one who was condemned to a life of hell on Earth and had just lost the love of his life.

His thoughts turned back to Alice as Math class ended, Jasper walking mindlessly to his next few classes as he relived the moment when she had decided she no longer wanted to be with him. It had been late one night when Alice came to him, tears in her eyes. Jasper had picked up on her emotions before she even walked through the door, dropping to his knees as she entered, begging her to reconsider. He could feel how torn she was by her decision, and it didn't help the situation any. _"You don't want this, Alice, I can feel it—don't lie to me!"_ She had turned her head away from him, covering her mouth with her hand until she had pulled herself together again. _'It's for the best, Jasper. I can't ask you to leave our family; it was my decision to accept Aro's position in his guard, not yours.'_ He tried to plead with her, telling her he'd gladly give away anything and everything if it meant he got to remain by her side. But Alice couldn't be swayed. She begged him to stop, to just let her go and make it easier on everyone. He could tell that his persistence was breaking her heart, but he didn't care; she couldn't just leave him! That was when she had decided to fight back, using the one thing against him that Jasper couldn't argue with.

 _'I've seen our future, Jasper,'_ she had whispered. _'And it's not something either of us would choose. This is it for us; the decision has already been made for us…'_ Jasper had remained silent for several minutes, Alice's words tearing through him, echoing throughout his body. Alice's visions were always just a snapshot of what _might_ happen in the future; it was subjective, and could always be changed. But she seemed so adamant about it this time…perhaps all options ended in the same result. Numbly, Jasper rose, taking her hands in his. He needed to put his feelings into words, just this once. He had to say it out loud, to tell her that he would never love someone else the way he had loved her…that he would always be waiting for her to change her mind and come back to him. That he would accept her back no matter what the circumstances or amount of time that had passed.

As he opened his mouth to speak she leaned up, kissing him deeply before pulling back, placing her finger over his lips. _'It goes without saying, Jasper. Saying it out loud means that this moment dies, but keeping it inside means it can live on in our memories…'_ That had been the last time he had seen her. She called him occasionally to check up on him and make sure he hadn't done anything stupid in her absence, but those calls became less and less frequent as more time passed. _She's probably already moved on_ , he thought bitterly, ashamed at himself moments later for having such a thought about her. Alice wasn't that type of person; she wouldn't just move on to someone else. No…Jasper truly believed both he and Alice would remain alone for the rest of their existence. If they weren't made for each other they were made for no one.

Robotically he headed towards the lunchroom, dreading the packed space and emotions he would have to feel or block out. Stopping as he passed the threshold of the cafeteria, Jasper turned around, various emotions slamming into him, nearly knocking his breath away. He followed the emotions until they got stronger, stopping in front of the gym door. It was…magical. No sorrow or pain could be felt, yet it wasn't quite happiness—no, it was more complex than that. Jasper allowed it to fill him, embrace him, and comfort him after his trip back to the most challenging moment in his life. For the first time since his transformation Jasper felt _alive_. Peering through the window, he watched as the girl from his Math class glided across the floor, the emotions heightening with each successful move. He found himself leaning in closer, pulled towards the emotions that were filling the hole inside of him that Alice had left behind.

It all came crashing down as she yelled out in anger, Jasper's face falling as the magical moment disappeared, replaced by the emptiness once again. He could feel her anger and pain returning, only heightened as she turned to find him staring at her through the window. Jasper took this as his cue to leave, heading for the cafeteria. He settled into his familiar seat next to Edward, ignoring the sideways glance his brother gave him as he accessed his most recent thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of Alexia's day passed uneventfully, the strange boy who had watched her dancing not making any appearances. Eager to get out of the hell the was Forks High, Alexia raced to her car, jumping in and hurriedly pulling out of the parking lot, heading to her choreographer's house. Back in London, she had been able to attend a real dance studio, taking classes there with award winning instructors. But in the small culture-less land of Forks she had to settle for practicing in the basement of her longtime friend and choreographer, Jared; when he was ten years old his parents had converted their unfinished basement into a dance studio, installing wooden floors and full-length mirrors throughout. Eventually, his parents had moved to a much larger house in a gated community just outside Forks, gifting their old home to Jared. He ran his own freelance dance classes out of the home and did fairly well for himself.

Alexia bounded out of the car, rushing to change into her dance clothes before skipping down the stairs two at a time, Jared rolling his eyes. "Someone's in a good mood," he whistled. "Especially for getting back from high school hell…" Jared was three years older than Alexia, and had gotten his GED when he was 16. His parents allowed him to drop out of school to focus on his dance career. Sadly, a severe knee injury had ended any chances of Jared hitting it in the big league for ballet. Surprisingly, he wasn't bitter about it. He was happy that he was able to provide dance instruction to the citizens of Forks; if he hadn't come back and opened his own studio anyone interested would have to drive two hours away for a decent instructor. Popping a CD into the player, Jared shoved her into the middle of the floor. "We're doing things a little differently today. I want you to work on the modern piece today; you've been focusing too much on ballet and you're becoming too stiff with contemporary stuff." A familiar pop-rock song blared through the speakers, Alexia taking a few moments to orient herself to the routine before jumping into it, counting silently in her head so she wouldn't miss a beat.

Though Jared was one of her best friends, he was also her biggest critic. As she danced he scoffed, snapping his fingers when she missed a beat, screaming moves at her, clapping to get her oriented to the music if she got lost. "Get the stick out of your ass, Dragomir!" he yelled, Alexia missing her next jump before falling to the floor, slamming her fist down in anger. Jared turned the music off, waiting until Alexia had regained her composure before speaking. "If dancing was based on technique alone you'd be the only choice, Lex," he started as Alexia braced herself for the 'but' that was surely following. "But…come on, you can't _only_ perform ballet. There's a thousand girls out there who can do it just as well, if not better. You've got to have something special for these scouts to give you a spot in their schools. You need to kill it with ballet, _and_ hip hop, _and_ ballroom dancing, _and_ classical, _and_ — "

"I get it, Jared, I suck at anything that isn't ballet. I was classically trained, what else do you expect?!" Alexia shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry. I know you're just trying to help. I'm just…I'm trying my best." Jared nodded, switching the CD out before nodding for her to get back into her starting position before hitting play. "Just dance, Lex, do what feels natural. No techniques, no counting the beats—just _dance_." Alexia nodded at him, closing her eyes as the music came on, listening to a few beats of it before throwing herself into the music. It was as if another person had entered her body; the moves she was doing were things she had never practiced before, many of which were things she had only seen through classical performances or music videos. She let out all her anger, frustration, fear—everything she felt she released. Breathless, Alexia covered her face with her hands for a moment after the song ended, biting her lip anxiously as she awaited Jared's critique.

Shaking his head, Jared clapped a few times, opening his arms to her as she ran to him, picking her up and swinging her around as she screamed. "Now, do _that_ and there's no scout in the country who could possibly say no to you," he admitted. Alexia smiled, finally feeling as if she had done something right for a change. "However— "

"Ugh, Jared, don't ruin this moment!" Alexia cursed, turning away from him.

"I've signed you up for a few other dance classes. You need the practice so your movements become more fluid and you're more comfortable with the moves. You're with me on Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You're with Declan's hip-hop class on Tuesday and Thursday. And I've signed you up for Meg's ballroom dancing classes on Wednesdays and Fridays—you'll alternate with me when you can."

"How the hell am I supposed to swing that schedule, Jared? It's my senior year—they aren't exactly going easy on me."

"You'll find a way to manage it. If you need a break you can take it on one of my days. And…well you also need to…run every morning before school." He finished the last part just barely above a whisper. Alexia glared at him, grabbing her bag angrily without breaking her death stare. "If looks could kill, Jared, you'd be close to death right now," she said, staring at him for a few more moments before leaving. Everything he'd said had been right, but she hated admitting it. And she had no idea how the hell she was going to swing the insane schedule he had made for her will still maintain a halfway decent GPA at the same time.

The next day at school Alexia was disappointed to see that her 'friend', the blonde boy from her Math class, was absent. Through eavesdropping she found out that he and his siblings were often kept home from school on nice weather days to go hiking with their family. This bothered her slightly; she had finally mustered up enough courage to confront him about spying on her during her lunch practice time. Though the day passed uneventfully, Alexia found her thoughts on the strange boy more than she cared for. Shaking it off, she headed out after the final bell, arriving at her first ballroom dancing course.

She was mortified to find out that she needed to secure a partner before her next class—a _male_ partner. This was a detail that Jared had left out when filling her in about all her expectations in the classes he had signed her up for. Feeling defeated, Alexia drove home, calling every boy she could think of and begging them to be her partner. Most flat out refused, and the ones who didn't only agreed to help her out if she helped them out by providing sexual favors of sorts. What kind of girl did they think she was?!

Dejected, Alexia walked through the halls of Forks High the next day with her head low, looking down at her feet. If she didn't find a partner and teach them the routine before the next session she was going to be kicked out; Jared would be furious. Arriving at her first class, Alexia hesitated in the doorway, her eyes widening and a smile spreading on her face as she spotted Kristofer Brecken. Back in Freshman year the two had been lab partners, and rumor had it Kristofer had always been rather fond of her. Slowly walking towards him Alexia stopped as he looked up, smiling and waving.

"Hey Kristofer," she said, batting her eyelashes as she leaned her back against the lockers. Kristofer nodded at her, placing his hand next to her on the lockers, leaning in closer to her.

"So, I have a small favor to ask you."

"Go on," Kristofer said, smirking. Alexia tried to ignore the way his eyes traveled up and down her body, never once returning to meet her own eyes.

"I'm in this ballroom dancing class and I need a partner before our next session and—"

"I like you, Alexia," he interrupted, taking a step away from her. "But not that much. There are easier girls than you out there; girls that actually pay for their favors…" Appalled, Alexia stomped away from him, taking her usual seat in class before angrily crossing her arms. _Guys around here are so pathetic!_ She thought, sighing in frustration.

"I'll do it."

Her head snapped up, Alexia watching as the blonde boy sat down next to her, one seat closer than his usual spot.

"Excuse me?" she asked; surely she had misunderstood him.

"I heard you're looking for a ballroom dancing partner," he replied, shrugging. "I'll be your partner."

"…why?" Up close Alexia had to admit that he was even more attractive than she originally thought. As he flashed her a smile her heart melted; he was _gorgeous_ , so much so that she was forgetting how to speak. "My father raised me to be a gentleman."

Alexia nodded, taking a deep breath as she realized she hadn't been breathing; the boy's smile had been too much. "You might as well, I mean you've been watching me dance anyway…" she mumbled, turning away as their professor began his lecture. Though she refused to look at him out of embarrassment for commenting on him watching her, she could've sworn she caught him smirking before she turned away.

At the end of class Alexia was surprised that the boy waited for her, carefully taking her backpack from her and carrying it to her next class. "We'll need to practice every day at lunch. And after school. Do you think you can handle that?" He nodded, handing her backpack over to her, pulling away before their skin could touch. "Not a problem. See you at lunch. By the way, I'm Jasper Cullen." She nodded slowly, realizing foolishly that they hadn't even been properly introduced yet. "Alexia Dragomir," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper as she watched him walk away.

The rest of her morning passed painstakingly slow, Alexia checking the clock every few seconds, waiting for it to be lunch. She fully expected to wake up and find herself in some sort of dream—how else could she explain what was happening to her? Not only had she secured a dance partner, but an _attractive_ one at that! She practically jogged out of the room as the bell rang signaling lunch, bursting through the doors to the gym. Hurriedly, she changed into her dancing clothes, flipping through videos on her phone until he entered the gym. He looked even more flawless as he walked towards her, his smile lighting up the room. Alexia shook her head, handing her phone to him. "This is the video of the dance we'll be working on. Watch it a few times before we try it out." He nodded, sitting close to her before gently taking the phone, keeping his body tilted away from her ever so slightly. While he watched the video, Alexia allowed herself to examine him a little more, her eyes taking in the contours of his face, the length of his lashes, the structure of his jaw.

Jumping slightly as he spoke, Alexia quickly averted her eyes, hoping he hadn't caught her staring at him. "I think I can manage that," he said, standing up before offering her his arm. She led him out to the middle of the gym floor, hitting play on her phone before tucking it into her pocket, holding her breath as her skin finally touched his, their hands meeting for the first time. She quickly pulled away, gasping. "Your hands are so cold…" Jasper looked away from her, clearing his throat. "I've got bad circulation; it's not a big deal. Continue." Alexia tried to shake the haze away from her that he was causing, starting the song over again, not as surprised as her hand touched his again, the cold radiating throughout her body.

As they glided across the floor, Alexia found herself forgetting her moves, having to rely on his lead to complete the sequence. Dancing had always been an emotional experience for her, more so than her peers. She didn't just complete a dance move, she _felt_ it, poured every last ounce of emotion she had into it. And as such, her performances had always been critiqued as being raw, real, and enchanting. Alexia had never quite understood what they had meant by 'enchanting' or 'raw'—until now. As he placed his hand lightly on her waist Alexia felt as if it could bring her to her knees. She looked down, avoiding his face, his eyes. As his body moved with hers across the floor completing the steps perfectly, Alexia found herself leaning in closer to him, unable to control herself. Her lips were almost there, so close to touching his own perfect ones.

Alexia groaned as the breath was knocked out of her, her body falling backwards, shock reverberating throughout her body. Jasper stood near the gym doors, his eyes wild, his breathing ragged. Heat crept into her face, Alexia pulling herself up before stammering out, "S…sorry." Jasper held up his hand, keeping his distance for several minutes before taking a few steps closer to her, his face guarded. Speaking through clenched teeth, he finally spoke. "You just…surprised me, that's all." Alexia nodded, biting her lip as she held back tears. Did the thought of kissing her make him physically ill? Was she really that bad? "I think that's enough for today," he added in a strained voice, keeping his distance as he passed her to get his bag before exiting the gym, leaving Alexia free to let her tears fall.


End file.
